Bottle container



q April I,- 1930. c. T. NEITZEL 1,752,502

BOTTLE CONTAINER Original Filed Aug. 22, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l grvue'nliov e, rye/a3 C. T. NEITZEL BOTTLE CONTAINER April 1, 1930.

Original Filed Aug. 22, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 1, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONRAD T. NEITZEL, 01 DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO HOGAN OLIVER, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS BOTTLE CONTAINER Application filed August 22, 1927, Serial No. 214,524. Renewed December 12, 1929.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in bottle containers.

One object of the invention is to provide a container including two compartments equipped with locking means, whereby a bottle placed in a compartment may be locked in said compartment and cannot be removed until a bottle is placed in the other compartment. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a locking device shiftable to lock one of a pair of compartments and including releasing means actuated by a bottle placed in the other compartment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and positive locking means involving a few number of parts and which may be economically produced.

A construction designed to carry out the 20 invention will be hereinafter described, to

gether with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompany- 25 ing drawings, in which an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a container constructed in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1 and showing the compartment open in dotted lines,

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is-a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates a vertical housing, preferably of metal and a general rectangular shape. The housing is formed with a bottom 11, sides 12, a rear wall or back 13 and a top 14. A central hollow partition divides the housing into two compartments A and B, respectively. Each compartment has a front or vertical closure 16, semicircular in cross-section, or otherwise shaped to conform to the bottle placed in the container. The top 14 is provided with extensions 14 overhanging the front. Each whereby the latter is suspended in the compartment. A handle 22 on each front provides means for tilting the front outward.

A bracket 23 is secured to the under side of each top extension 14 and one end of a right angular lock bar 24 is hinged in said bracket. A vertical shaft 25 is journaled in the top 14 within the partition 15. A look ing member including an arm 26 is fastened on the lower end of the shaft. The arm has a cross-head 27 at one end provided with lugs 28 at each end. This head is positioned to extend through either of a pair of opposite slots 30 in the partition to engage one of its lugs in an aperture 29 in one of the bars 24.

By observing Fig. 6 it will be seen that when the arm 26 is swung, a thumb lever 31 (Fig. 5) being fastened on the shaft 25 for this purpose, the cross-head 27 will be swung through the slot 30 of the compartment A so that the lug 28 will engage and lock the bar 24 therein, said bar resting on the crosshead as is shown in Fig. 4. In this position the cross-head is withdrawn from the compartment A.

To limit the inward swing of the fronts. 16, stops 32 are fastened to the sides of the partition 15. Each front has an aperture 33 in one side adapted to register with an aperture 34 in the side of the partition 15. Locking fingers 35 are provided on the arm 27 on the end opposite to the cross-head. Thus when the lug 28 on one side engages the bar 24 in the compartment B the finger 35 on the opposite side is extended through the apertures 33 and 34, thus locking the front of the compartment A, as is shown in Fig. 6, but

leaving the compartment B open and free to swing as is shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

In order to secure the lock against operation, rods 36 are mounted to slide vertically in keepers 37 on the inside of the partition 15. Each rod has its lower end bent at 38 and directed through a slot 39 in the partition so as to engage in the adjacent flange 18 of the bottom 17. Normally the upper ends of the rods are below the arm 27, but when a front is swung outward, its rod 36 being pivoted to the flange 18 in the rear of the shaft 19, is elevated, whereby the rod is projected upward into the path of the finger 35, as is shown in Figs. 4: and 6. This prevents shifting of the arm 27 in the event the bar 24 of the compartment B is lifted by hand when the said compartment is opened.

In operating the container, the compartment B is opened by swinging the front 16 outward, as is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 and an empty bottle is placed in the yoke 21 therein. The compartment is then closed, whereby the top of the bottle slides under the lock bar 24: and raises it from the lug 28 which is thus freed from the aperture 29. The rod 36 of the compartment B is also lowered. The thumb lever is next swung toward the compartment B to partially rotate the shaft 25 and shift the arm 2'4", whereby the right hand finger 35 (Fig. at) is withdrawn from the compartment A and the left hand finger is projected through the apertures 33 and 34 of the compartment B, thus locking the front 16 of the latter. The crosshead 26 is also swung through the slot 30 of the compartment A so as to engage the lug 28 in the aperture 29 of the bar 24; of said compartment.

The empty bottle is now securely locked in the compartment B and may contain money or a note to the milkman. The milkman opens the front 16 of the compartment A, places a full bottle of milk in the yoke 21 thereof and then closes said compartment. The top of the bottle lifts the bar 24 and he ma then swing the thumb lever 31 to the rig it, as is shown in Fig. 1, whereby the parts will be shifted to the position shown in Fig. 6. This locks the compartment A and unlocks the compartment B so that he may swing the front 16 outward and remove the empty bottle. An empty bottle must now be placed in the compartment B to obtain the full bottle from the compartment A.

Various changes in the size and shape of the different parts, as well as modifications and alterations, may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim, is:

1. In a bottle container, a pair of vertical compartments, vertical fronts for the compartments hinged at their lower ends to the compartments, bottle supporting yokes mounted on the inner side of each front, a

lock bar hinged in each compartment in the path of a bottle carried by the yoke and having an apertured free end, an arm mounted between the compartments and having a cross-head on one end with projections to enter said apertured cues and fingers on the other end, the cross-head projection engaging the lock bar in one compartment while one of the fingers extends into the other compartment to interlock with its front, a shiftable shaft attached to the arm, and vertically movable rods pivotally attached to the fronts and having their upper ends located to be projected into the paths of the lingers when the fronts are swung outwardly.

52. In a bottle container, a plurality of bottle compartments each having a swinging front, bottle supporting means carried by each front, shiftable locking means for alternately locking the fronts and including a horizontally swinging arm having at one end a head with projections at the ends thereof and the opposite end of the arm being provided with locking fingers, a locking releasing plate in each compartment located to be operated by a bottle supported therein by the said front and having an apertured free end to interlock with one of said projections, and a lock securing bolt carried by the front in each compartment and disposed in the path of said fingers for fastening the locking means.

3. In a bottle container, a pair of vertical compartment-s, hinged fronts for the compartments each having means for supporting bottles and an, inwardly extended side wall, an upright movable arm between the compartments having at one end locking fingers for alternately engaging the side wall of each of the fronts, release bars in the compartments in the path of the bottles supported by the fronts, locking elements carried by the arm to swing beneath and interlock with the releasing bar in the unlocked compartn'ient, and means actuated by the swinging fronts for locking the arm against operation when one of the fronts is opened.

4. In a bottle container, a pair of vertical compartn'ients having apertured inner side walls, hinged fronts for the compartments each having means for supporting bottles and an apertured side wall, an upright shaft jonrnalled between the compartments and having operating n'ieans, a horizontal arm mounted on the shaft, a cross head on one end of the shaft arranged to alternately extend into the rear of each compartment, bottle operated locking plates in each compartn'ient disposed to seat over interlocking portions of said cross head, and fingers on the opposite ends of the arm operable through the apertures of the compartments and fronts for locking the latter.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

CONRAD T. NEITZEL. 

